Most en-US to en-GB translation work involves making simple word substitutions. Below is an attempt to create a comprehensive list of translations. Please use our mailing list to discuss any changes that you wish to make before committing them.

The information contained in this table may be used as data for an automated translation tool, such as our Greasemonkey script (available on the front page).

In some cases, the spelling or use of particular words depends on context. The Ask? column indicates that the user should be questioned prior to the change being made. If it is empty, that word can be substituted without question.

Note that merely making word substitutions is not enough to perform a full translation. Grammar, style and punctuation are just as important, and must be dealt with manually.

some en-us speakers nonsensically add 'already' to the end of sentences => remove

aluminum

aluminium

en_US usage is based on the brand Aluminum, en_GB based on the element

analog

analogue

analyze

analyse

analyzed

analysed

analyzer

analyser

analyzing

analysing

anchor

newsreader

Y

someone who reads the news on television/radio

anemia

anaemia

anesthesia

anaesthesia

anesthesiologist

anaesthetist

anesthetic

anaesthetic

annex

annexe

Y

verb: 'annex'; noun: 'annexe'

antennas

antennae

antialiased

anti-aliased

antialiasing

anti-aliasing

anymore

any more

appall

appal

archeology

archaeology

armor

armour

ass

arse

Y

'ass' means 'donkey'; 'arse' is a vulgar word for the buttocks

artifact

artefact

authorization

authorisation

authorizational

authorisational

authorize

authorise

authorized

authorised

authorizing

authorising

automobile

motorcar

ax

axe

backward

backwards

Y

use 'backward' only as an adjective

balk

baulk

barnyard

farmyard

basicly

basically

bathroom

toilet

Y

when referring to a WC, not a room with a bath

beet

beetroot

behavior

behaviour

behoove

behove

bill

note

Y

"a £100 note"

binder clip

bulldog clip

bobsled

bobsleigh

boogey

bogey

brace

curly bracket

Y

braces

curly brackets

Y

'braces' could mean a type of orthodontic treatment

braked

broke

broil

grill

buddy

mate

bullhorn

megaphone

burned

burnt

bum

tramp

Y

'bum' can also mean 'buttocks'

cafe

café

caliber

calibre

canceled

cancelled

canceling

cancelling

candy

sweet

Y

candy bar

chocolate bar

Y

canned

tinned

Y

capitalization

capitalisation

capitalize

capitalise

capitalized

capitalised

capitalizing

capitalising

carburetor

carburettor

cart

trolley

Y

"a shopping trolley"

case insensitive

case-insensitive

case sensitive

case-sensitive

caster

castor

catalog

catalogue

categorization

categorisation

categorize

categorise

categorized

categorised

categorizing

categorising

CCW

ACW

Y

CCW as in Counter-clockwise

chapstick

lip balm

centimeter

centimetre

center

centre

centered

centred

centering

centring

centralization

centralisation

centralize

centralise

centralized

centralised

centralizing

centralising

cesium

caesium

check

cheque

Y

"a bank cheque"

check

tick

Y

tick the box

checkbox

tickbox

checked

chequered

Y

"a game of chequers", "a chequered floor"

checked

ticked

Y

"the box is ticked"

checker

chequer

checkerboard

chequerboard

checkered

chequered

chips

crisps

Y

cipher

cypher

coffee shop

café

cold

neutral

Y

the connection in an electrical circuit that returns current to the source (source)

color

colour

colored

coloured

colorer

colourer

colorful

colourful

coloring

colouring

colorkey

colour-key

colorspace

colour-space

congress

parliament

Y

congressman

Member of Parliament, MP

Y

cookie

biscuit

Y

could refer to a web/internet cookie

cooperate

co-operate

coordinate

co-ordinate

corn

maize

cornsilk

maize silk

cotton candy

candy floss

counterclockwise

anti-clockwise

counter-clockwise

anti-clockwise

coupe

coupé

coveralls

overalls

cozy

cosy

curb

kerb

Y

a kerb is the edge of the pavement, to curb is to limit something

curriculums

curricula

customizable

customisable

customization

customisation

customize

customise

customized

customised

customizing

customising

dealed

dealt

defense

defence

delete

Permanently Delete

Y

make this change if a Delete action will bypass the Rubbish Bin (Trash)

dialed

dialled

dialer

dialler

dialing

dialling

dialog

dialogue

diaper

nappy

diarrhea

diarrhoea

digitization

digitisation

digitize

digitise

digitized

digitised

digitizer

digitiser

digitizing

digitising

dishrag

dish cloth

dishtowel

tea towel

disk

disc

Y

If describing a round object (e.g. a CD or DVD), use 'disc'. Otherwise, use 'disk'.

disorganized

disorganised

distill

distil

donut

doughnut

downspout

drainpipe

downward

downwards

Y

use 'downward' only as an adjective

Dr.

Dr

Y

Only use a full stop if the final letter of the abbreviation is not the final letter of the word it is abbreviating. So, 'Doctor' = 'Dr' but 'Drive' = 'Dr.'

draft

draught

dreamed

dreamt

drugstore

pharmacy

dumpster

skip

eastward

eastwards

Y

use 'eastward' only as an adjective

eggplant

aubergine

e-mails

e-mail

email

e-mail

The e in e-mail is pronounced as a distinct letter rather than as part of the following word. If it were the latter, the pronunciation would be merged with the following letter, in this case the letter m. The first syllable is pronounced ee, not em.

emails

e-mail

encyclopedia

encyclopaedia

endeavor

endeavour

England

Britain

Y

a common mistake amongst some Americans is to refer to the whole island as 'England'

English

British

Y

a common mistake amongst some Americans is to refer to the whole island as 'England'

English

Imperial

Y

Americans often refer to imperial system of measurements as 'English'

enology

oenology

equaled

equalled

equaling

equalling

equalize

equalise

equalized

equalised

equalizer

equaliser

equalizing

equalising

esophagus

oesophagus

esthetics

aesthetics

estrogen

oestrogen

expressway

motorway

fag

homosexual

Y

'fag' means 'cigarette' in en-GB

fall

autumn

Y

familiarization

familiarisation

familiarize

familiarise

familiarized

familiarised

familiarizing

familiarising

fanny

buttocks

Y

'fanny' is a vulgar word

fanny pack

bum bag

faucet

tap

favor

favour

favored

favoured

favoring

favouring

favorite

favourite

fetus

foetus

fiber

fibre

filet

fillet

fill out

fill in

flashlight

torch

flatware

cutlery

flavor

flavour

flavored

flavoured

flavoring

flavouring

forever

for ever

Y

In en_GB, 'for ever' means for eternity (or a very long time), as in "I have been waiting for you for ever." 'Forever' means continually, always, as in "They are forever arguing."

formulas

formulae

forums

fora

forward

forwards

Y

use 'forward' only as an adjective

forward slash

slash

redundant: a slash is 'forward' by definition

fourth

quarter

fourths are quarters

freeway

motorway

french fries

hot chips

freshman

fresher

fries

chips

Y

French fries

fueled

fuelled

fueling

fuelling

furor

furore

garbage

rubbish

gas

petrol

Y

a commonly-used (and imprecise) abbreviation for 'gasoline' is 'gas'

gasoline

petrol

globalization

globalisation

globalizational

globalisational

globalize

globalise

globalized

globalised

globalizing

globalising

globaly

globally

glycerin

glycerine

goiter

goitre

gotten

got

Y

Use 'got' unless using the humorously-intended phrase 'ill-gotten'.

gray

grey

graylist

greylist

graylisted

greylisted

graylisting

greylisting

ground

earth

Y

The term 'ground' and 'grounding' are used in US electrical engineering to represent electrical equipment that is securely bonded to the ground (i.e. that on which we stand) for safety reasons. In the UK the equivalent terms are 'earth' and 'earthing'. (source)

grounded

earthed

Y

The term 'ground' and 'grounding' are used in US electrical engineering to represent electrical equipment that is securely bonded to the ground (i.e. that on which we stand) for safety reasons. In the UK the equivalent terms are 'earth' and 'earthing'. (source)

grounding

earthing

Y

The term 'ground' and 'grounding' are used in US electrical engineering to represent electrical equipment that is securely bonded to the ground (i.e. that on which we stand) for safety reasons. In the UK the equivalent terms are 'earth' and 'earthing'. (source)

Contextual: use 'program' in computing contexts, and 'programme' everywhere else (e.g. a computer program, a television programme)

prong

pin

proved

proven

Y

pry

prise

Y

To open/lift something. 'Pry' means to ask questions.

quint

quin

railroad

railway

randomization

randomisation

randomize

randomise

randomized

randomised

randomizing

randomising

rappel

abseil

realator

real estate agent

realization

realisation

realize

realise

realized

realised

realizing

realising

recognizable

recognisable

recognize

recognise

recognized

recognised

recognizing

recognising

reinitialize

reinitialise

reinitialized

reinitialised

reinitializing

reinitialising

resume

CV

Y

common misspelling of résumé => curriculum vitae

résumé

CV

Y

curriculum vitae

route

round

Y

a set of regular visits that you make to a number of places or people, especially in order to deliver products as part of your job

row house

terraced house

rumor

rumour

rumored

rumoured

saber

sabre

sailboat

sailing boat

sanitarium

sanatorium

Santa Claus

Father Christmas

scalawag

scallywag

scepter

sceptre

schedule

timetable

Y

schedule: a list of planned activities or things to be done showing the times or dates when they are intended to happen or be done ; timetable: a list of the times when events are planned to happen, especially the times when buses, trains and planes leave and arrive

season

series

Y

a set of television or radio broadcasts on the same subject or using the same characters but in different situations

serialization

serialisation

serializational

serialisational

serialize

serialise

serialized

serialised

serializing

serialising

shivaree

charivari

sidewalk

pavement

signaled

signalled

signaling

signalling

simultanous

simultaneous

skeptic

sceptic

skeptical

sceptical

skepticism

scepticism

sled

sleigh

sneakers

trainers

snicker

snigger

soapbox

podium

soccer

football

soda

soft drink

Y

solitaire

patience

Y

the card game

southward

southwards

Y

use 'southward' only as an adjective

specialization

specialisation

specializational

specialisational

specialize

specialise

specialized

specialised

specializing

specialising

specialty

speciality

specter

spectre

spelled

spelt

spider

spyder

Y

For a two-seat convertible car.

spilled

spilt

spiraled

spiralled

spiraling

spiralling

spoiled

spoilt

St

St.

Y

'St' = 'Saint' and 'St.' = 'Street'

St.

St

Y

'St' = 'Saint' and 'St.' = 'Street'

standardize

standardise

stickshift

gear stick

story

storey

Y

Level of a building.

stories

storeys

Y

Levels of a building.

streetcar

tram

stroller

pram

sulfur

sulphur

sulfurous

sulphurous

summarization

summarisation

summarizational

summarisational

summarize

summarise

summarized

summarised

summarizing

summarising

sweater

jumper

Y

symbolization

symbolisation

symbolizational

symbolisational

symbolize

symbolise

symbolized

symbolised

symbolizing

symbolising

synchronization

synchronisation

synchronizational

synchronisational

synchronize

synchronise

synchronized

synchronised

synchronizing

synchronising

synthesize

synthesise

taffy

toffee

tailpipe

exhaust pipe

taliban

taleban

latinisation used by the UK press

teleprompter

autocue

templatization

templatisation

templatizational

templatisational

templatize

templatise

templatized

templatised

templatizing

templatising

theater

theatre

thumbtack

drawing pin

tic-tac-toe

noughts and crosses

tidbit

titbit

tire

tyre

Y

Rubber part of a wheel.

totaled

totalled

totaler

totaller

totaling

totalling

toward

towards

Y

use 'toward' only as an adjective

trackless trolley

trolleybus

transportation

transport

trapezium

trapezoid

Y

A quadrilateral with no two sides parallel and no equal sides.

trapezoid

trapezium

Y

A quadrilateral with two non-adjacent parallel sides.

trash

rubbish, Rubbish Bin

Y

When referring to generic waste, use 'rubbish'. When referring to the place where deleted files go, use 'Rubbish Bin'

truck

lorry

Y

trunk

boot

Y

The luggage compartment of a car.

turnpike

toll road

turtleneck

polo neck

Y

A type of neck on a sweater.

tuxedo

dinner jacket

uncategorized

uncategorised

undershirt

singlet

unauthorized

unauthorised

uninitialization

uninitialisation

uninitializational

uninitialisational

uninitialize

uninitialise

uninitialized

uninitialised

uninitializing

uninitialising

unorganized

unorganised

unrecognizable

unrecognisable

unrecognized

unrecognised

upcoming

forthcoming

upscale

upmarket

upward

upwards

Y

use 'upward' only as an adjective

useable

usable

utilization

utilisation

utilize

utilise

utilized

utilised

utilizing

utilising

vacation

holiday

vacationer

holidaymaker

vapor

vapour

vectorization

vectorisation

vectorizational

vectorisational

vectorize

vectorise

vectorized

vectorised

vectorizer

vectoriser

vectorizing

vectorising

virtualization

virtualisation

virtualize

virtualise

virtualized

virtualised

virtualizing

virtualising

vise

vice

visualization

visualisation

visualize

visualise

visualized

visualised

visualizing

visualising

vs.

vs

Y

abbreviation of versus

web

Web

Y

Capitalised when referring to the World Wide Web (e.g. a Web browser).